CATS Summer Reading Series "God Said This": Unity Through Diversity

"My disease finally brought my family together. I am happy." 
This short phrase perfectly reflects the main message of God Said This, a comedy drama  and the first performance of the Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS) Summer Hangout Series of Staged Readings featuring Asian American playwrights presented on June 17th and 18th.

God Said This is a story about love and forgiveness: about a family in which everyone is unique. Masako (Haley Tomtoro), the Japanese mother undergoing chemotherapy treatment in the hospital, is happy that her family is together again for the first time in seven years. James (Miles Bayer), the American father, is a recovering alcoholic who has recently become passionate about collecting rocks and desires to make peace with his daughters who hate him. Sophie (Katy Hedrick), the younger daughter, is a born-again Christian whose faith helps her to deal with her mother’s illness. The elder daughter, Hiro (Whitney Moore), has returned from a successful and fancy life in New York City to be with her mother. She spends time with John (Patrick Rivera), a high school friend who is a single dad. John’s relationship with his 13-year-old son provides a contrast to Hiro's childhood memories of family life.

The phrase ‘It is unfair!" is repeated many times during the play. The family cannot deal with their mother's illness and blame each other for all of their past traumas. During the family’s disagreements the characters ask themselves: ‘Why you, but not me?’, ‘Why are you not like me?’ and ‘Why are we so different?’. The family attempts to find different ways to connect with each other as best they can. 

Despite the excitement, the actors reveal the full depth of emotions and feelings of their characters gradually over time. Some characters initially appear in an unfavorable light, but step by step, new details emerge about the characters throughout the performance which were previously hidden behind their emotions.

Director Chris Sicat and the young actors (Miles Bayer, Haley Tomtoro, Katy Hedrick, Whitney Moore, and Patrick Rivera) delivered a great combination of reading and play. As a staged reading the play is surprisingly dynamic. James (Miles Bayer) gets up from time to time and addresses the audience directly, giving monologues about his troubled life at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. In one of the most dramatic moments in the play, we see Hiro, who is running, faster and faster. Some of the scenes consist of smartphone conversations which are integral to the play. The actors were very professional when they changed scenes during the reading, and used all of the props they had. And, of course, staging the reading at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) adds a historical dimension to the reading.

It is really sad to realize that only the bad moments keep bringing people together.  Sometimes we feel lonely with our families, and sometimes we may struggle with all sorts of family problems. This is a very universal story, a powerful message for anyone who has the fear of losing family or friends. The play is very deep and meaningful, and relatable for a lot of people living far away from their friends and relatives. 

The author, Leah Nanako Winkler, is a Japanese American playwright who was born in Kamakura, Japan and grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. She wrote the play while her own mother was undergoing chemotherapy.  

I am looking forward to seeing the next CATS Summer Staged Reading The Great Leap on July 8th and 9th at the Akiyama Wellness Center and hope to see you there.  Tickets can be obtained through the CATS website.

By Elena Usanova